Cigar box or packing.



' No. 657,385. Patented Sept. 4, I900.

' L. &. M. BERGER CIGAR BOX on PACKING;

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BERGER AND MORRIS BERGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CIGAR BOX OR PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,385, dated September 4, 1900.

Application filed Febr ary 28, 1900. Serial No. 6,834- (No model.)

This invention relates to improvements in cigar-boxes; and the object is to provide a simple means in connection with a box to prevent fraudulent refilling or partial refilling of the box with cigars from another box of the same brand or cigars of inferior quality.

We will describe a cigar box or packing embodying our invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claim. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigar-box with a portion broken away and showing our invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section.

thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a cigar-box of the ordinary construction and having a cover 2. Arranged in the box are flexible separating-strips 3, 4, 5, and 6, and these strips are designed to be placed between layers of cigars, as clearly indicated in the drawings. We have shown them as alternately attached in pairs to the opposite sides of the box. By thus arranging the strips they may be more rapidly attached than would be the case if each alternate strip were" secured to the opposite sides, as two strips may be attached before reversing the box to place other strips. The strips may consist of paper or any other suitable material and may have any advertising matter printed thereon or a trade-mark.

In -operation the cigars are to be packed with the strips arranged between layers, as indicated, and when the box is opened for the sale of the cigars the top strip 3 is to be torn 01f. It may be here stated that the cover itself might serve for the top strip. As cigars are taken from the top layer the next lower strip 4 will be visible, indicating that no cigars other than those of the top layer have been removed. Of course as the several layers of cigars are removed the strip covering the next lower layer will be torn off, and this will be continued until the box is empty.

It is evident that the use of a box embodying our invention will be of great value to the Government, to the cigar manufacturer, to the retailer, the purchaser, and also to the cigar-box manufacturer. The benefit to the Government will be derived from the use of these cigar-boxes as an increase of revenue, as cigars will be sold in a legitimate way.

The benefit the cigar manufacturer will derive from the use of these boxes will be in the increased number of cigars sold, as it will be practically impossible to refill the box without detection. The retailer will derive benefit from the use of this box from the fact that, in the first place, the cigars will be kept in a better condition than in the ordinary boxes, as they are not so much ex posed, and the retailer will have a less number of broken cigars to decrease his profits, as they will not be handled so often, from the fact that lower layers of cigars are covered by the strips. The purchaser will be benefited because he will be assured that he has purchased his desired brand or the brand for which the box is intended. The cigar-box manufacturer will derive great benefit from the fact that a great many" more boxes will be used than at present, and it is obvious that our invention will add nothing to the cost of the boxes.

Having thus describedour invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent As a prevention of the fraudulent reuse of a cigar-box, the combination with a cigar-box, of strips of paper or the like attached alternately in pairs at opposite sides of the interior of the box, one edge of each strip being free and each strip being adapted to completely cover a layer of cigars in the box, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS BERGER. MoRRIs BERGER.

Witnesses: O. R. FERGUSON, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

